Position SummaryErgon Specialty Solutions (ESS) is seeking a Turnaround Planning Manager to provide strategic leadership for turnaround planning, scheduling, and execution readiness across our refinery operations. This position plays a critical role in ensuring turnarounds are planned and executed safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively while minimizing operational risk and maximizing asset reliability.
The Turnaround Planning Manager partners with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, Supply Chain, and contractor organizations to develop comprehensive turnaround scopes, budgets, schedules, and resource plans. In addition to leading major turnaround events, this position drives continuous improvement in work management processes, planning standards, and execution strategies while developing a high-performing team of planners, schedulers, and maintenance analysts.
Key Responsibilities- Lead turnaround planning, scheduling, and execution readiness activities across ESS refinery assets.
- Manage, mentor, and develop a team of turnaround planners, schedulers, and maintenance analysts.
- Develop comprehensive turnaround scopes, budgets, schedules, resource plans, and cost forecasts for major outages.
- Facilitate turnaround milestone reviews, readiness assessments, and executive progress reporting.
- Identify schedule risks, resource constraints, and critical path activities while developing mitigation strategies to ensure successful execution.
- Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to align turnaround objectives and execution plans.
- Develop contractor execution strategies, staffing plans, and outage support requirements.
- Lead implementation of turnaround planning best practices, standard work processes, and continuous improvement initiatives across ESS operations.
- Improve maintenance planning effectiveness through enhancements to work management processes, backlog management, schedule compliance, and planning quality.
- Develop, monitor, and communicate turnaround performance metrics and key performance indicators.
- Lead post-turnaround reviews, capture lessons learned, and implement improvements into future turnaround events.
- Promote a culture of safety, reliability, accountability, teamwork, and operational excellence while supporting Ergon's values of Respectful Relationships, Empowered Service, Purposeful Growth, and Selfless Leadership.
Basic Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, Construction Management, Business, or a related technical discipline is preferred.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in refining, petrochemical, chemical manufacturing, or heavy industrial maintenance environments.
- Minimum of 5 years of turnaround planning, maintenance planning, turnaround management, or outage management experience.
- Previous supervisory or team leadership experience.
- Strong understanding of refinery maintenance, reliability, turnaround planning, and execution processes.
- Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced industrial environment.
- Commitment to safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience managing refinery turnaround programs and large capital or maintenance outage events.
- Proficiency with CMMS platforms such as SAP, Maximo, or equivalent maintenance management systems.
- Experience using Primavera P6 or other advanced scheduling software.
- Knowledge of critical path scheduling, resource leveling, risk management, and work management best practices.
- Experience developing turnaround KPIs, benchmarking performance, and implementing planning process improvements.
- Demonstrated success leading organizational change, developing planning organizations, and mentoring technical professionals.
- Proven ability to build collaborative relationships with operations, maintenance, engineering, contractors, and executive leadership while delivering exceptional customer service.
